Paparoa Track emergency & health guide: hospitals, rescue, 111 and PLBs

Emergency numbers

There is no phone signal on most of the Paparoa Track, so carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) and use it only in a life-threatening emergency; register a New Zealand beacon free at beacons.org.nz. People with hearing or speech difficulties can register in advance for the 111 TXT service. Leave your plans with someone at home, check the NIWA mountain forecast for Paparoa National Park before you start, and stay in a hut if the weather turns severe.

Rules to know

• All three huts (Ces Clark, Moonlight Tops and Pororari) must be booked online with DOC before you start. Without a valid booking you may be charged a penalty, or turned away if the hut is full. There is no park entry fee and no fee for a day walk.
• Hut fees for 2026/27, per person per night, 1 October – 30 April (NZ adult / international adult): Ces Clark $50 / $76, Moonlight Tops $78 / $117, Pororari $61 / $92. Prices are lower from 1 May to 30 September, children pay about half, and you need proof of eligibility for the NZ rate.
• Backcountry Hut Passes are accepted only at Ces Clark Hut: book online, then email DOC for a refund. They are not valid at Moonlight Tops or Pororari Huts.
• There are no campsites on the track, and camping at Smoke-ho car park is not allowed. Book a bed in Blackball, Greymouth or Punakaiki for the nights before and after.
• Huts have bunks, mattresses, heating, gas cooktops and non-flush toilets, but no food, cooking utensils or showers. Boil the tap water, carry all your food plus emergency spares, and store it in a rodent-proof bag.
• The track is shared with mountain bikers: watch and listen for riders. E-bikes are banned in Paparoa National Park, and riding at night is not allowed.
• Weather: rainfall averages about 6,000 mm a year, and heavy rain, snow, ice, fog and strong wind are possible on the tops in any month. Carry full waterproofs and warm layers; if the weather becomes severe, stay in a hut or turn back.
• The Pororari valley can become impassable in very heavy rain, with slips, rockfall and treefall in storms. Do not walk between Pororari Hut and Punakaiki in these conditions: wait in the hut until they improve.
• Transport: the track is one way. Shuttles run each morning from Punakaiki, Greymouth station and Blackball to Smoke-ho car park, and InterCity buses stop at Punakaiki daily. Do not leave valuables in cars: there have been break-ins at the Smoke-ho, Waikori Road and Pororari River car parks.
• No dogs. Drones need a DOC permit on all conservation land (instant online approval in green zones for a $180 + GST fee). Do not touch ongaonga (tree nettle) in the Pororari valley, and carry out all your rubbish.

Nearest hospital for each stage

Hospitals

Clinics and first aid

There is no doctor or clinic in Blackball, in Punakaiki or on the track. Buller Health in Westport has clinics in the daytime but no after-hours emergency department. For medical advice when it is not an emergency, call Healthline on 0800 611 116 (24/7).

Pharmacies, cash and supplies

• Pharmacies:
• ATMs:
• Shops:
• Bus stops: Punakaiki

There is no pharmacy in Blackball, in Punakaiki or on the track, and New Zealand has no duty-pharmacy rota. Buy your medicines, blister care, sandfly repellent and antihistamine in Greymouth or Westport before you go. The huts have no power sockets: carry a power bank.

Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.